FOR a few moments, Kean Baclaan wasn’t even sure if it was real.
“Pumasok lang sa isip ko na champion ba kami? Sobrang speechless ako ngayon,” Baclaan said who still trying to process the moment.
In a season defined by uncertainty, pain, and noise, the answer finally settled in - La Salle was back on top, claiming its 11th UAAP title and the court general stood as one of the key pillars of it.
READ: La Salle a champion anew after besting UP in title trilogy
The road for the Green Archers was anything but smooth as they finished the eliminations at 8–6, reeling on the edge of elimination more than once.
For Baclaan, the grind cut even deeper after suffering an MCL injury in the first round that threatened to derail not just his season, but a career already marked by constant transitions and hard choices.
Yet when it mattered most, he chose to push through.
“Sobrang worth it lahat,” Baclaan told SPIN.ph.
“Sobrang worth it lahat ng pinaghirapan ko. Ang nangyari sa akin this past few months sobrang worth it niya dahil nakuha namin yung trophy and yung gold medal talaga.”
The risks were real and they were many. The transfer. The health gamble. The decision to return despite the injury.
All of it unfolded in a season Baclaan himself described as “sobrang up and down,” one that nearly ended before it ever reached its peak.
And then there was the noise.
Criticism followed La Salle relentlessly, even from its own fan base. Baclaan and fellow residency players Mason Amos, Jacob Cortez, and Luis Pablo were dissected, labeled, and dismissed.
“Hindi nag-work yung ball dominant like me and Jacob. Si Mason [Amos], walang depensa. Si [Luis] Pablo, malambot. Si Mike [Philips], walang shooting, walang free throw,” the playmaker recalled.
“Daming sinasabi pero ‘di namin iniisip yun kasi may goal kami. May goal kami as a team. And yun siguro na-prove namin yung mga haters namin na ito, champion na kami,” he added.
The comments stung, but that belief was put to the ultimate test in the playoffs especially going up against a familiar squad, National U.
But the 5-foot-10 guard took the risk, he returned to Taft just in time and dismantled his former team twice to book his first finals appearance.
“Hindi biro yung pinagdaanan namin,” Baclaan said. “Twice to beat yung NU. At tinalo namin sila.”
Riding the momentum from their Final Four run, La Salle carried its surge into the Finals, taking Game 1 and making it seem like everything was finally breaking their way.
However, Game 2 brought a sharp turn. The Green Archers were just inches away from clinching the title before Vhoris Marasigan’s potential game-winning triple rimmed out, forcing the series into a winner-take-all Game 3.
The green-and-white were pushed back to the edge.
But they answered anyway.
For Baclaan, the championship etched itself into memory - not just as a victory, but as validation.
“I think isa ’to sa history ng career ko, ito yung hindi ko makakalimutan,” he said after finishing with eight points, two boards, including his clutch free throws.
Beyond the court, the title carried deeper meaning as the Muntinlupa native dedicated the journey and the crown to his daughter, Taliyah.
“Lahat naman ang ginagawa ko sa buhay, naka-dedicate lang sa anak ko,” he said.
“Siya yung strength ko and siya lang yung nagpapasaya sa akin pag malungkot ako.”
Seeing her witness the moment made it even more complete.
“Sobrang thankful ako. Buti nakanood siya kanina. Sabi ko, para sa kanya ’to.”
The championship also belonged to those who came before, the seniors who fell short of winning back-to-back the year prior.
“Nabawi na namin sila,” Baclaan said, sending a shoutout to Kevin Quiambao, Josh David, CJ Austria, and the rest of last year’s core," he said.
“Para sa kanila din ’to.”
After the injuries, the doubts, the labels, and the long climb back, he finally had the last word.
From the ups and downs of his career, from risk to reward, Kean Baclaan now stands where he always believed he could be -
A champion.
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